In 2004, in response to the findings of a major global study, The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, which had revealed that only 2% of women around the world would call themselves beautiful, Dove launched the “Campaign for Real Beauty”. The main intention of this campaign by Dove was to give out this message that women’s unique differences should be celebrated, rather than ignored. It aimed at making physical appearance a source of confidence rather than a source of anxiety or inferiority complex. They used different means of communication such as TV commercials, magazine spreads, talk shows, and a worldwide conversation via the internet.
One of the greatest achievements of the Dove Campaign is that it initiated a global conversation to widen the definition of beauty. The main issue was the repeated use of unrealistic, unattainable images which pose restrictions on the definition of beauty. Dove sought to change the culture of advertising by challenging beauty stereotypes, they selected real whose appearances are outside the stereotypical norms of beauty e.g., older women with wrinkles, overweight women. The real women were likeable and attractive to their female audience because they were relatable and provided a “fresh” perspective within the media.
Dove campaigns have also brought in real life guests and through their interviews and thoughts conveyed a message to the audience that parent, friends, or even spouses, nobody should be pointing out imperfections in others and rather make people around them feel confident in their own skins.
Beyond simply making people feel good about the company, what Dove has so successfully done is reframe the function of purchasing their beauty products and toiletries from one focused on utilitarian outcomes (such as the quality and price of the products – things that are virtually never mentioned in the ads) to one that is focused on expressing important values and connecting with others.
I personally believe that it was very refreshing to watch all these media products by Dove in contrast to the regular media that our audience in consuming which have built a very unrealistic image of perfection and beauty standards.
I think in the world that we live in, where so many people are fed the narratives of the unrealistic beauty standards, this campaign is refreshing. Now that it exists, a lot of media needs to be reproduced in its mould to provide and antidote for the problematic narratives that traditionally exist. It really gives us all hope
Hello, mahnoor! What an incredible read. It really opened my eyes to how important it is to integrate inclusiveness into popular media. Come to think about it, "inclusivity sells" these days. This was reminiscent of the Alessia Cara video where they'd hired models of different ethnicities and skin tones.
I've been thinking along the lines of ethical implications a lot and I was just wondering that do you think directors incorporate ethical awareness just so people will consider them more "woke"or do they do it out of genuine concern for societal concerns?
Hello Mahnoor, I really liked this post, I always feel really happy whenever I see campaigns online which go against stereotypes. These types of campaigns are extremely important in order to break these norms in our society. The beauty standards which began to exist within our society started becoming very unrealistic which made everyone feel anxious and unhappy about how they looked. Everyone deserves to be content with how they look as this is something that also isn't in their hands and no one deserves to feel upset or judged by it. Their campaign very successfully tackles this idea and helps broaden what typical beauty standards look like and also broadens the definition of beauty to make everyone feel more…
Hi Mahnoor!
This was a very interesting read. I like how the ad was very unconventional in the sense that it put the parents, who are a "girl's greatest influence" into it their daughters' shoes as their AI versions impart hate comments on them. Seeing themselves attacking their daughters with negative comments really put things into perspective for them (and for me) on how their daughters were affected negatively by toxic comments on their social media feeds. It actually also aptly touches upon "toxic influencer culture" that has not really been talked about by, well, any brand or company at all. I like how the ad evokes emotions in order to bring this message to the audience that girls' unique…
Hey Mahnoor! This blog has such a good articulation. I really enjoyed reading the whole of it. Yeah, Dove ad was so refreshing to watch. I want to say that if we embrace our own perspectives of beauty without conforming to the societal norms, everything will be changed. As Alessia says, you don't need to change a thing, the world needs to change it's heart.
I wanted to ask, don't you think if we all have insecurities, the way we look at them changes the whole picture?